By James Wong

Finally, after what seemed like a prolonged spell, the Clio finally got to embrace the loving arms of an official Renaultsport dealer to get its service.

It’s been drinking alarming levels of engine, to the rate of nearly a litre every 1000 miles, so I highlighted that to Renault Romford to have a look. Surprisingly, they returned with the response that it is normal for the 200 Cup to consume 1 litre of engine oil every 700 miles. That’s downright ridiculous! So with every 3,500 miles you would have recycled all of the engine oil in the engine. Well, if it’s normal then I’m accepting it, since the car is still under warranty anyway. If anybody has ownership experiences to share about this though, please comment below!

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Otherwise, the service was carried out efficiently and quickly (helping me minimise my downtime in a Service While You Wait appointment). All was done in about 1.5 hours, and the promised cost of GBP149.95 was charged, with no additional surcharges that I had expected. Brilliant! Fixed price servicing should always be the basis for honest dealings. I can say for myself, at least, that it really gave me a peace of mind and confidence in the dealership. They also provided a checklist which really ensured they looked at everything to assess the car’s wear and tear, which was duly completed (most dealers don’t bother with this. Bad move).

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So with fresh oil in the engine, the Clio has received a clean bill of health from Renault. Looks like we’re all prepared for 9 June… Oh, not till after we get our Euro travel kit! Be aware, for all GB cars traveling through France, you’ll need a breathalyser kit (senseless) and an ugly white-and-black GB logo for your boot lid. Some need visibility vests too – I’ll have to get that all sorted before next week!